RTA tries to cut free-ride abuse

Seniors may be required to re-register every year, officials say

December 16, 2010|By Richard Wronski, Tribune reporter

After finding thousands of instances of fraud, transportation officials are trying to tighten up the senior citizen free-ride program, citing a case where a dead person's card was used more than 1,400 times.

As the Regional Transportation Authority tries to prevent such abuses, one option is to require seniors to re-register for the cards every year, instead of every four years, officials said Thursday.

Transit agencies are also working harder to catch offenders when they try to use the cards fraudulently to board buses and trains, officials said.

The special cards have been issued to more than 427,000 seniors since 2008. An RTA audit last month found that 25,000 fraudulent free rides were taken last year, said Grace Gallucci, RTA deputy executive director.

The audit showed that out of a sample of 3,142 deceased individuals, 164 senior free-ride cards remained in use after the person to whom the card was issued had died.

The RTA estimates that 20,150 cardholders die each year, according to mortality rates. The potential annual loss to the transit systems from fraud totals nearly $1.4 million, Gallucci said.

The CTA said it has confiscated more than 500 cards used fraudulently. President Richard Rodriguez said Thursday that the agency was using special methods to spot abusers, but declined to give details.

RTA officials hope the legislature scales back the program so that only low-income seniors and disabled are eligible. Under federal law, all seniors would continue to be eligible for half-fare rides.